Congrats, mama! You conquered 9 months of pregnancy, and now you've got an adorable little baby in your arms. And after being on a pregnancy diet where you perhaps avoided runny eggs, sushi, lunchmeat, and mojitos, you’re probably ready to go back to your “everything” diet. But if you've opted to breastfeed, there's a solid chance some well-meaning people have given you a laundry list of things you still can’t eat. The good news: You can pretty much ignore them.

“There are many myths out there about what you can or cannot eat,” says Jennifer Tender, MD, a pediatrician with Children’s National Health System. And for the most part, as a breastfeeding mama, you can eat anything. “Moms shouldn’t feel like they need to limit or change their diet so it becomes a barrier to breastfeeding. If you have a question about what is safe or not to eat, a lactation consultant or health care provider knowledgeable in breastfeeding can provide guidance,” she adds.

Zarya Rubin, MD, breastfeeding medicine specialist of Latched On MD in Portland, Oregon, agrees that your diet shouldn’t get in the way of your willingness to breastfeed. “Any time that someone says that you have to have a special diet, restrict foods, or eat an ideal nutritional profile—that you can’t have any junk food or a glass of wine—you get the impression that breastfeeding is restrictive, and it’s not,” she says.

With that said, here are eight things you need to know about some best dietary practices while breastfeeding.

Pinpoint your baby's “fussy” foods

While Tender says that most women can eat anything without it bothering the baby, some women say certain foods make their baby fussy. “If on the rare occurrence you notice there’s one type of food that consistently brings on irritability, try eliminating that food and see if it makes their symptoms better,” she says. (You may want to check with your health care provider to make sure this will not affect your nutrition.) That said, the type of food is individual for every woman—there’s not one trouble-causing food across the board.

Avoid high mercury fish

It’s a good idea for everyone to limit their consumption of high-mercury fish (mercury is a neurotoxin), and that’s especially true for breastfeeding moms. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends avoiding high-mercury fish, like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. Since fish can provide an important source of omega-3s, you should keep it in your diet. Just go for low-mercury swimmers like light tuna, shrimp, salmon, pollock, or catfish, the AAP says.

A PB+J is a great lunch

As a new mom, if you slap some peanut butter on whole grain and call it lunch, you’re not only nourishing yourself, but you may be doing your baby good, too. “At least one study looking at moms who ate peanut products while breastfeeding found that it may slightly protect the infant from developing peanut allergies,” says Tender. Usually, she says, there’s no reason to limit your intake of allergenic foods, like peanuts or eggs.

Wake up with a cuppa

Like many moms, you may need a cup of coffee to get going in the morning. You absolutely do not have to give up your beloved latte. A reasonable amount of caffeine, about two to three cups, is completely safe while breastfeeding, says Rubin. Newborns don’t metabolize caffeine as well, so you may have to adjust your intake if they seem fussy after you sip your cup. Of course, no matter how old your baby is, if you notice caffeine affects them, “consider swapping that latte for decaf—or at least a half-caff,” says Rubin.

Go ahead and drink milk

In general, babies aren’t allergic to their mother’s milk, says Tender. It’s rare that your baby might react to something you ingest, though if your baby has blood in their stool, it could be a reaction to milk protein, she says. If this happens, take your baby to your health care provider to discuss a trial of eliminating milk from your diet. However, this is not the norm, so you should generally feel free to continue with your dairy habits.

Approach happy hour differently

Listen up ladies: You do not have to "pump and dump" after a glass of wine, says Rubin. Instead, try to pump or feed right before you enjoy your glass of wine, and then wait 2 hours per drink before pumping or feeding again, says the AAP.

Still, you'll probably want to avoid drinking to intoxication. “Because alcohol is digested and metabolized by the liver, the blood alcohol level becomes the concentration of alcohol in breastmilk,” she says. (That means if your blood alcohol is 0.08%, your breastmilk is also 0.08%.) Chronic, long-term alcohol exposure can be harmful to a baby, which is why moderation is key. Plus, it’s a reality that knocking back a few impairs judgment and your ability to properly care for baby, says Rubin.

Mint in your salad isn’t harmful

Some herbs are known to decrease milk supply (“these are actually a treatment if you have oversupply,” says Rubin), including parsley, sage, thyme, oregano, and peppermint. But you’d likely have to eat large quantities to see a difference. If these herbs are in food (like a mint-watermelon salad or tabbouleh), you can still enjoy them from time to time.

It’s okay if your diet isn’t perfect

When you’re in survival mode in the early newborn days, you’re not planning out massive roast veggie bowls—you’re grabbing what you can to feed yourself. So, don’t feel one bit guilty if your diet includes ice cream and cheese puffs on occasion. “Food that you eat is broken down into protein, fat, and carbs. Those building blocks are reincorporated into breastmilk—you’re not directly feeding your child potato chips,” explains Rubin. As the AAP notes, the mammary glands are sophisticated—you’ll still produce nutritious milk to nourish your baby to grow healthy and strong.